The Finnish Border Guard announced on November 17 that it will erect barriers at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border checkpoints in southeastern Finland to prevent third-country migrants from Russia. The closure will last from November 18 to February 18, 2024.
A car at the Nuijamaa border crossing on the Finnish-Russian border on November 16.
"On Monday (November 13) we saw 39 people and on Wednesday (November 15) 75 people. Yesterday was quite peaceful but today, more than 100 irregular migrants arrived in the southeastern district of Finland," Captain Jussi Vainikka of the Finnish Border Guard told Reuters in Nuijamaa.
Finland has a 1,340 km border with Russia. This week, about 300 asylum seekers, mainly from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria, arrived in Finland.
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The Nordic country’s government has accused Russia of being behind the migration drive into Finland in retaliation for Helsinki’s increased defense cooperation with the United States. Russia has denied the accusation.
A fifth of the border checkpoints between the two countries have been closed, while the rail link has been shut since last year. Asylum seekers can now only use two of the four remaining border crossings: Salla and Vartius.
Asylum seekers from Russia are taken to a reception center at the Nuijamaa border crossing on November 16.
The Kremlin said on November 17 that Finland was making a “huge mistake” by closing the border crossing, saying the move was damaging bilateral relations. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that government agencies would take countermeasures.
Finnish Finance Minister Riikka Purra said on Wednesday that Finland was ready to close all border crossings with Russia if necessary. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) border agency Frontex said on November 17 that it could send staff to help Finland secure its borders.
TASS news agency on November 18 quoted Mr. Samuli Murtonen, deputy commander of the Border Guard Force in North Karelia, Finland, confirming the use of gas on a group of people who did not comply with orders and warnings at the Niirala border crossing. Mr. Murtonen said that the person sprayed with gas was given the necessary medical examination afterwards.
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